Given the records of both Glasgow Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Cup season, this year's final is likely to be either a goal-fest or destined for penalties.
Here, we look at the forwards the two sides will be pinning their hopes on to fire them to their first ever UEFA Cup crown when they meet in Manchester.
EXPERIENCE/PEDIGREE
Darcheville has spent most of his career in France, with his spell at Rangers and an upsetting time at Nottingham Forest being his only spells abroad. After starting out at Stade Rennais, he went to England on loan for the 1998/99 season. He returned to France with Lorient in 1999 and his career began to blossom. In 2002 he won his first silverware when Lorient won the Coupe de France in their first season back in Ligue 1. A year later he moved to Bordeaux where he got to play in both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League, as well as winning the league title in 2007. His spell at Rangers represents his second time away from France, and after winning yet another cup final when Rangers lifted the Scottish League Cup in March the 32-year-old has already announced that he hopes to end his career in Glasgow.
Arshavin has spent his entire career at Zenit, but has managed to rack up an impressive array of medals and personal honours in his eight seasons in the St Petersburg club's first team. In 2001, in just his second year in the Zenit senior side, Arshavin was named Best Right Midfielder by Russian newspaper Sport-Express. He has played as a forward since 2003 and scored twice in his first game as a striker. In the same year he won his first trophy as Zenit picked up the Premier Liga Cup. In 2004 he was named Player of the Year by Russian newspaper Soviet Sport, while Sport-Express awarded him with the Best Second Striker of the Year award in 2004 and 2005. The following year he bagged the Best Player awards from the Russian FA, Sport-Express and Soviet Sport, as well as winning the Russian Player of the Year award, before winning the Russian Premier Liga in 2007. At 26 he has represented Russia 33 times, and even captained the side in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia in March 2007.
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RECORD
Darcheville holds the better career record having netted 97 league goals in 315 appearances. He has 12 goals in all competitions since joining Rangers in the summer, already a better tally than his haul of eight goals in 29 games for Bordeaux last season. Only two of his Rangers goals have come in European competition, but both have been vital. The Frenchman scored the first goal in the Gers' 2-0 quarter-final win over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, while he also scored a penalty against Stuttgart in the final game of Champions League group stage which ensured the Scottish side entered the UEFA Cup. His best stint in front of goal came in 2001/02, during his final season at Lorient, when he netted 19 goals in 32 games. He struggled to recapture that form after moving to Bordeaux, and this season is the first time he has made double figures since 2002/03.
Arshavin confesses to being just as happy to make goals as to score them, and during Zenit's run to the Russian league title last year the 26-year-old amassed 10 goals and 11 assists as he started all 30 league games. He has chipped in with four strikes this term in the UEFA Cup, while setting up a number of top scorer Pavel Pogrebnyak's 10 goals. Like Darcheville he has a knack of grabbing important goals. His spectacular late away goal against Marseille proved vital to his side's passage to the UEFA Cup quarter-final this year. Overall he has scored 67 times in 281 appearances in all competitions for Zenit and has 10 in 33 appearances at international level.
CHARACTER
With his pace and strength Darcheville has proven himself to be an accomplished performer in the lone striker role. His life and career have been marked by adversity, giving the Frenchman a maturity and mental toughness which should aid him greatly on the big stage. He has in the past been accused by coaches of being selfish with the ball and of wasting opportunities. However, nowadays Darcheville has grown into a tireless striker, whose running should help create space for his team-mates.
Arshavin is revered as a hero in St Petersburg, having played his entire career for Zenit and repeatedly being lauded by the Russian FA. On the pitch he is known for his control and vision, which allows his to weigh in with as many assists as goals. The Russian forward is an intelligent player who, like Darcheville, is a strong runner and is likely to be able to find space for himself and create it for others in and around the penalty area.
VERDICT
Darcheville has shown he can score the goals needed to bring a European trophy back to Ibrox for the first time since 1972. With their impressive defensive record, one goal may be enough for Rangers and Darcheville is more than qualified to provide it. Zenit have had no trouble finding the net throughout the competition this season, but with top scorer Pavel Pogrebnyak missing through suspension Arshavin's job will be just that little bit tougher.
